A big night out in Venice →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.6 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.3 mi
7:00 PMThe big dinner
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
← Los AngelesDate night guide · Los Angeles
Best special-occasion restaurants for a date in Los Angeles
For the anniversary, the birthday, the big news.
201 spots · Jump to the list
For the anniversary, the birthday, the proposal. Every restaurant here sits at the top of the price range and treats dinner as the whole event. Book well ahead, mention what you're celebrating when you do, and plan for a longer meal than usual.
This guide ranks 201 special-occasion restaurants in Los Angeles, from Downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena and Santa Monica. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A big night out in Downtown Los Angeles →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.4 mi
5:30 PMDrinks first
2
0.9 mi
7:00 PMThe big dinner
DAMA Fashion District Restaurant & Bar
Restaurant
612 E 11th St., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Downtown Los Angeles
5.0
3
8:30 PMSomething sweet
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Seline
5.0(19)Venice · $$$$
Deluxe 1717
5.0(9)Pasadena · $$$
DAMA Fashion District Restaurant & Bar
5.0(6)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
The Arthur J
4.9(26)Manhattan Beach / El Segundo · $$$$
Arroyo Chophouse
4.9(26)Pasadena · $$$
Sushi Sasabune
4.9(25)West LA / Brentwood · $$$$
Gaetano’s Restaurant
4.9(25)Torrance · $$$
mar'sel
4.9(11)Palos Verdes · $$$$
Oleander
4.9(11)West Hollywood · $$$$
Asanebo
4.9(11)$$$$
Alexander's Steakhouse
4.9(7)Pasadena · $$$$
Katsuya L.A. Live
4.9(7)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Dada Echo Park
4.8(26)Silver Lake / Echo Park · $$$
Loreto
4.8(24)Silver Lake / Echo Park · $$$
AB Steak by Chef Akira Back
4.8(22)West Hollywood · $$$$
Forma
4.8(22)Santa Monica · $$$
Cali Chilli
4.8(21)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$
Hillstone
4.8(19)Santa Monica · $$$
The Garden at The Penthouse at Mastro's Steakhouse Beverly Hills
4.8(15)Beverly Hills · $$$$
Bar di Bello
4.8(15)Silver Lake / Echo Park · $$$$
Mélisse
4.8(14)Santa Monica · $$$$
71Above
4.8(11)Downtown Los Angeles · $$$$
Herb Alpert's Vibrato Grill, Jazz, Etc.
4.8(10)$$$
Ryla
4.8(10)Redondo / Hermosa Beach · $$$
Showing 1–24 of 201 spots
Good to know
- What's the best special-occasion restaurant in Los Angeles for a date?
- Our top pick is Seline in Venice, rated 5.0 out of 5. Deluxe 1717 and DAMA Fashion District Restaurant & Bar round out the top 3.
- Which Los Angeles neighborhoods have the best special-occasion restaurants?
- Downtown Los Angeles (4), Pasadena (3) and Santa Monica (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Seline, AB Steak by Chef Akira Back and Mélisse.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a big night out: drinks first, then the big dinner, then something sweet. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.
Special-occasion restaurants by neighborhood
Beverly HillsSanta MonicaDowntown Los AngelesWest HollywoodVeniceWest LA / BrentwoodHollywoodLong BeachPasadenaKoreatown / Mid-CityMid-Wilshire / Miracle MileTorranceSilver Lake / Echo ParkRedondo / Hermosa BeachCatalina Island (Avalon)Los Feliz / Griffith ParkManhattan Beach / El SegundoPalos Verdes